November 9, 2019

"Maria Perego, an Italian puppeteer and the creator of Topo Gigio, the lovable mouse who became famous to American audiences..."

"... as a frequent guest on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in the 1960s and early ’70s and was known worldwide, died on Thursday in Milan. She was 95.... Topo Gigio was a sort of cross between a puppet and a marionette; three puppeteers, hidden in a black background, moved various body parts with rods.... Ms. Perego and two other puppeteers were on hand to impart the movements, and a fourth provided Topo Gigio’s voice — but... Mr. Sullivan had not realized that someone would also have to serve as the puppet’s straight man. Mr. Sullivan, who was famously wooden on camera, stepped into that task for the initial appearance, figuring he would arrange for a professional comic to take over for later ones if the bit caught on. 'It was evident from the very first appearance, however, that the chemistry between Sullivan and Topo Gigio worked extremely well... The exchanges between Sullivan and the mouselike puppet revealed another side of the host, a warm and humanizing element.'... The appearances often ended with the mouse saying, in a thick Italian accent, 'Eddie, kiss me good night.' 'The line became famous... and it was not unusual for passers-by to call out, "Eddie, keees-a-me goood night" as Sullivan walked the streets of New York.'"

From the NYT obituary.

27 comments:

MayBee said...

I am sad she has died.

topo Gigio, however....my husband and I have had many conversations about being little kids during that time, and the entertainment "for kids" was dreadful to watch as a child. Too Gigio being one of the worst offenders. "Oh, get the kids! Topo Gigio is going to be on!" and we'd watch! And hate it! But we watched every time because that's what the kids were supposed to do.

whitney said...

Adorable

YoungHegelian said...

Topo Gigio. Ahhh, childhood memories!

I also remember Sherry Lewis & Lampchop, Ralph the Dog (the beginning of Jim Henson & the Muppets) on the Jimmy Dean Show, & weirdest of all, the early, ultra-violent Jim Henson of the Wilkins Coffee commercials.

Carol said...

I only knew of Topo Gigio because he shared the bill on Sullivan with the Beatles, Stones et al.

Captive audience.

Narayanan said...

Such simple times of innocent optimistic.

mockturtle said...

The Ed Sullivan Show act I remember most fondly was Rudolph Nureyev's transcendent performance.

mockturtle said...

I never saw anything funny about Topo Gigio.

traditionalguy said...

Would you believe that mouse had the same personality as a lady I once loved. Oh, never mind.

rcocean said...

Hilarious and very cute. The puppet I mean.

Because I never "Got" Ed Sullivan. I only saw the show in Re-runs, I vaguely remember them being on TV and packaged as "Nightlights from the Ed Sullivan Show". Anyway, I never could figure out who "Ed Sullivan" was or why this old stiff was Headlining the show. Looking at this clip, its still a mystery. Must be a NYC thing - or the luck of the Irish.

chickelit said...

I don't think there was anything to "get" about Sullivan; people didn't watch the show to see him but rather to see the talent he scouted. When he passed he left really big shews to fill.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

we preferred his drunk cousin, Pinot Grigio

Rob said...

Gabe Kaplan did the classic send-up of Ed Sullivan and at the end even mentions Topo Gigio, "my old faggot mouse."

Rory said...

I loved Topo Gigio.

Bay Area Guy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maillard Reactionary said...

I was a child at the time but never found Topo Gigio amusing either. I did like Shari Lewis and Lambchop. She had her own show on Saturday morning TV in Philly by and by. She was able to convince us, while we watched, that Lambchop was real. (Which Topo did not.) Ed Sullivan himself was just weird, like an uncle you saw once a year or so.

Yeah, The Ed Sullivan Show-- a real bricolage there. In one night, you might see Judy Garland, a dog act (tutus and all), a bunch of athletes from somewhere in Europe ("Welcome the Flying Strombolis!!"), and always, a juggler or plate spinner. (Cue up the "Sword Dance" from Katchaturian's Gayane.) I did see the Beatles but was not impressed at the time.

Sunday nights were a wasteland for kids in those days. I thank them for it now.

RIP to Topo's creator.

mockturtle said...

we preferred his drunk cousin, Pinot Grigio

ICTA wins thread.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

au contraire, oh @mockturtle--

'tis thou, with thine winsome manier

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

a topo-- oops! typo (we forgot the last 'e')

Maillard Reactionary said...

mock: Agreed!

DanTheMan said...

>>ICTA wins thread.

Speaking as a former threadwinner, I think Ann is keeping all that money for herself. I never got a dime...

wild chicken said...

I was a Beanie and Cecil kid myself.

Maillard Reactionary said...

wild chicken: Me too. I was inclusive even as a child.

Sally said...

The puppet is so well done, it Looks 3-D animated.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

@Phidippus
merci!
@Dan the Man
We dont do it for the money, but as a service to our fellow man ;-)

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

...and who could forget the hip "Davey & Goliath" show ?

...brought to you courtesy of the Lutheran Church, when you were hard pressed for cartoons on a sunday morning. Even Ned Flander's kids would find it hard to watch. It was either that, or "Industry On Parade"-- awesome in black and white!

JMW Turner said...

I remember as a kid that my mother would get supremely depressed on Sunday nights. I don't think this ridiculous puppet was helping.

Bill R said...

Fun fact: Joan Rivers wrote those sketches. Here she is talking about it on NPR.

"I was smart enough to go through any door that opened," she says. "I wrote [the] Topo Gigio [sketches] for Ed Sullivan. A friend of mine said, 'They want me to write this stupid thing for Ed Sullivan. It's beneath me.' And I said, 'I'll do it!' And my first real writing thing was Topo Gigio – that little stupid [puppet] mouse on Ed Sullivan."

Rivers got $500 for each of those sketches.

"For $500, I'll write for Hitler," she says.